Fitness Forum: Promote activity to fight childhood obesity

Obesity rates in the United States have risen for all age groups for the past 40 years. September is Childhood Obesity Awareness Month.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention childhood obesity rates more than doubled for children and tripled for adolescents.

Over 23 million children and teenagers in the United States ages 2 to 19 are obese or overweight, statistics that health and medical experts consider an epidemic. This places nearly one third of America's youth at risk for Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, heart disease, stroke and several types of cancer.

Obese kids are 80 percent more likely to become obese adults.

If you're thinking kids get fit sitting still for hours in computer labs, consider this: your kids will do better academically and retain physical fitness into adulthood if you promote activity. Research conducted at VU University in the Netherlands reports that physical activity was linked to higher grade point averages and better scores on standardized tests. A review of 14 studies showed that the more activity a child had, the higher their scores in school, especially in core subjects such as reading, math and English.

Encourage your child or teen to have daily recess and play vigorously.

A study of over 9,000 participants found that childhood exercisers maintained better brain function as adults later in life. Research conducted by Dr Alex Dregan of King's College, London, England, found that people did better on mental tests at age 50 if they had regularly performed vigorous activities like running, swimming, gym workouts, or played sports since childhood. Research participants were interviewed at regular intervals about their exercise activities starting at age 11. The participants also undertook additional tests to assess learning, attention, and memory. Those who had exercised two to three times every month or more since the age of 11 achieved higher scores than those who didn't exercise. The study results were published in the journal Psychological Medicine.

Children and adolescents aged 6-17 years are advised by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to get 60 minutes or more physical activity daily comprised of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise, muscle strengthening activities three days per week and activity to strengthen bones.